The New Nation - Internet Edition

Recently six people were critically injured in a gun attack in the. According to police sources, a gang of gunmen stormed into a hotel at about eleven in the morning and sprayed bullets indiscriminately leaving the persons injured.

It is reported that at least four gunmen went upstairs in the hotel while two of them remained in guard downstairs. The police force attributed the cause of the incident to the internal clash among the shareholders of the hotel. Investigation will make it clear whether the attack was an isolated incident or a pre-planned act by an organised gang.

The criminals committed the crime in broad daylight. It is completely unacceptable that such a daring incident could take place at all when the city was supposed to be under strict security surveillance during the Eid and the Puja. The criminals clearly outwitted the law enforcing agencies. This shows a sorry picture of the intelligence services of the country.

They failed to detect in advance such attempt at criminal offence and take pre-emptive measures. If it is an outcome of internal clash, intelligence agencies were supposed to know it, provided they were sufficiently active and efficient.

Crimes must be contained at any cost. But such a possibility does not seem to be bright from the present skills and abilities of the law enforcing agencies. To achieve the above objective, the law enforcement organs must raise their alertness and intelligence services strengthened.

They must come out of the tradition of always dragging behind incidents and strive hard to reach the level of pre-emptive measures. It should be borne in mind that safe and secure law and order situation is one of the criteria of a modern city. Security agencies must raise themselves to a level to ensure it. The police should have pro-active programmes to keep crime at zero level always.

Ariful Huq

Dhaka